Budget Kilimanjaro Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro the highest free-standing mountain in the world and Africa’s highest peak, rises from the plains of the Great Rift Valley just three degrees south of the equator. Of the various routes to its permanently snow-capped summit, Machame is widely thought to be the most beautiful. This route involves camping and some scrambling, so tends to attract more adventurous climbers, but is still not a technical climb. The climb starts gradually through rainforest, then skirts the main summit, ensuring that you get many different views of the summit and its neighbouring peaks. You make the final taxing ascent to Uhuru Peak (5895m) in the early morning to arrive for sunrise, before heading back down to celebrate your conquest!Note that we include the park fees in our price

Day 1: Home depertureBudget Kilimanjaro Climbing fly to Kilimanjaro Airport Start your journey with an overnight flight to Kilimanjaro Airport.

Day 2: Arrival in TanzaniaBudget Kilimanjaro Climbing arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, meet and greet by Gosheni Adventures Official ,transfer to your lodge in Arusha ,for one night. In the evening, your group leader will help you prepare with a briefing on your trek.

Day 3: Drive to Machame Gate;Budget Kilimanjaro Climbing trek to Machame camp (3000m) Transfer to the start of your trek, the Machame Gate (1830m). It’s a six hours walk (10km) through lush rainforest to your first camp at Machame Hut (3000m), where you emerge onto heather moorland.The guides and porters prepare and pack the supplies and your equipment in the village. You will receive a lunch pack and you can also buy mineral water in the village. Depending on the condition of the road, it is possible to drive from the village to the Machame gate, but if not, the muddy 3 km walk will take about 1 hour to complete. After registering at the gate office, you start your ascent and enter the rain forest almost immediately. There is a strong possibility of rain in the forest, which will transform the trail into a very soggy, muddy and slippery experience. You will have a welcome lunch stop about half way and will reach the Machame camping area in the late afternoon.Your porters (arriving at the camp site long before you) will have erected your tent on your arrival. In the evening the porters will boil drinking and washing water and the cook will prepare dinner, before you retire to your tent for the night. Night temperatures can already drop to freezing point at this campsite

Day 4: Shira Cave (3840m)Budget Kilimanjaro Climbing this morning you cross the valley and continue steeply upward through giant heather plants and along a ridge (3-4 hours). You follow the route west, dropping abruptly into a gorge created by a river, before gently climbing to reach the bleak and beautiful moorland of Shira Plateau. At Shira Cave, you camp for the night.

You rise early at Machame camp and after breakfast you climb an hour or so to the top of the forest and then for 2 hours at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone. After a short lunch and rest, you continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau. By now you will be able to see in an easterly direction, the Western Breach with its stunning glaciers. You are now due west of Kibo and after a short hike you will reach the Shira campsite at 3 840m. The porters will boil drinking and washing water, before serving dinner. The night at this exposed camp will even be colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping to well below freezing

The route now turns east into a semi desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you reach an altitude of 4630m after about a 5 hours walk. Lunch is served in a designated area before ascending the rocky scree path to Lava Tower (4630m). Definitely, the toughest day so far. It is normally around this point, where for the first time, some climbers will start to feel symptoms of breathlessness, irritability and headaches. After lunch you descent again by almost 680m to the Barranco camping area and after reaching the high altitude of 4600m at Lava Tower, the true acclimatization benefit of this day becomes clear. This descent to Barranco camp takes about 2 hours and offers great opportunities to take some beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The camp is situated in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, which should provide you with a memorable sunset while you wait for the preparation of your dinner

Day 6: Barafu Hut (4600m)Budget Kilimanjaro Climbing after spending a night at the Great Barranco Wall (a very imposing sight at first), you make your way up this awesome looking obstacle, which in the end normally turns out easier than what you anticipated. Topping out just below the Heim Glacier, you now appreciate just how beautiful Kilimanjaro really is. The route then heads down through the Karanga Valley over intervening ridges and valleys, and then joins up with the Mweka route. This is the preferred route down from the summit, so remember it. Turn left up the ridge and after another hour or so, you reach Barafu Hut.

The last water stop on the route is the Karranga Valley, as there is no water at Barafu camp. Barafu is the Swahili word for “ice” and it is a bleak and inhospitable camping area to spend the night. Totally exposed to the ever-present gales the tents are pitched on a narrow, stony, and dangerous ridge. Make sure that you familiarise yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid any accidents. The summit is now a further 1345m up and you will make the final ascent the same night. Prepare your equipment, ski stick and thermal clothing for your summit attempt. This should include the replacement of your headlamp and camera batteries and make sure you have a spare set available as well. To prevent freezing it will be wise to carry your water in a thermal flask. Go to bed at round about 19h00 and try to get some precious rest and sleep

Day 7: Summit (5895m) And Mweka Camp (3000m)Budget Kilimanjaro Climbing the day of truth! It’s a steep climb between the Rebmann and Ratzel Glaciers to the rim of Kibo Crater, close to Stella Point (5732m). From here it’s just one more hour to reach your final destination Uhuru Peak (5895m) for views of Mount Meru and the sun rising over Mawenzi’s icefields and jagged peaks. Descend to Barafu Hut, for lunch. Continue down to your final camp at Mweka Hut, in the giant heather, close to the forest’s edge. Sit back and relax as you enjoy your last dinner on the mountain. Approx. 13-14 hours walking (7-8 hours ascent, plus 6 hours descent). Camping – 1 night

Day 8: ArushaBudget Kilimanjaro Climbing enjoy an easy pace as you descend across alpine meadow and through rainforest and shamba to Mweka Gate (approx. 3-4 hours walking). Bidding farewell to your guides and porters,it is a short 3-hour and scenic hike back to the Park gate. At Mweka gate you sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Stella Point (5685m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates. From the Mweka Gate you will continue down into the Mweka village, normally a muddy 3 km (1 hour) hike. In the Mweka village you will be served a delicious hot lunch!! You now drive back to Arusha for a long over due hot shower, dinner and celebrations!!’Overnight at a hotel

Day 9: Arusha/Fly Home After Kilimanjaro,Budget Kilimanjaro Climbing Arusha feels like a lively metropolis. The day is free to relax, shop, or explore. It’s worth a look at the covered market, or the stalls and shops around the clock tower. In the evening, fly home.